What are Algorithms

Despite the fact that many of us hate taking our math classes and every time we have been required to take a math test we weren’t too happy about it, mathematics is actually an extremely field of study. You see, we may have questioned as to how math will help us when we grow up and get a job; I mean, I don’t exactly see how a marketing manager will ever be needing math at his or her workplace. However, this assumption, I realized, is extremely flawed. With all our current activities being controlled and operated by computer systems and advanced technologies; from our auto insurance quotes search to our green coffee extract order delivery, every activity of our lives needs advanced communication systems, computers and technology. All this technology is run with the help of one basic element; math.

The fields of math and science all depend on several interrelated step by step procedures in order to make calculations , to use automated reasoning and to enable data processing. An Algorithm is such a step by step procedure where each previous step leads to the basis of the next step.

If one talks about data processing on a computer, an algorithm is an essential component of this procedure. Carrying out this very basic task could have been close to impossible if it weren’t for algorithms. Say, for example, you run a search on bulging disc. The results you obtain within the fraction of a second are actually delivered to you via certain algorithms. Otherwise, any input from your side would never be turned into output. You see, algorithms take some input and convert it into some useful and meaningful output.

Algorithms are basically the main force that enable various different tasks to be performed on the computer. They are heavily dependent on mathematics. Different algorithms may have different approaches to solve a problem. Some may even be better than others in terms of speed and accuracy. Some algorithms may find it a whole lot easier to answer a query than other algorithms designed to answer the same query. For instance, if an algorithm is used to extract data regarding serviced apartments in London, another algorithm may be faster and more efficient at doing this with a smaller amount of effort needed to do this.

Algorithms were first developed when the earliest ‘decision problem’ was brought up by David Hilbert in 1928. They were then worked on in order to establish the effective calculability model. Though these weren’t exactly algorithms, they established the foundations for modern day algorithms. Presently, algorithms can help you with everything. The user friendly interface of your phone is actually enabled by numerous complex algorithms. From helping banks to develop programs to ensure effective online baking to helping individuals find a dentist on the internet, algorithms continue to be the backbone of the modern day technology. They are like the cells of the human body, the building blocks of life as we now know it. It is therefore essential that we never underestimate the immense importance of mathematics in our lives.